[imagesource:avis]

Domestic new vehicle sales have remained relatively stable in South Africa, despite economic tension.

There was just a decline of 88 vehicle units sold (0.2%) last month, putting the total at 37 107 units sold, compared to the 37 195 vehicles sold in April last year.

This is according to industry body Naamsa, reported TimesLIVE, who noted that there is only one car brand that consistently gets the top seller spot in the new vehicle market.

Bakkies, minibuses, and trucks are the vehicle types of choice:

At 24,174 units the passenger car market declined by 1,561 cars for a loss of 6.1% compared to April 2022 but bakkies and minibuses had a strong month, gaining 1,049 units (11%) to 10,611 units, according to industry body Naamsa.

Medium truck sales of 563 units were up 20.3% and heavy trucks at 1,759 were 23% higher compared to the previous month last year.

Meanwhile, Toyota maintained its position as South Africa’s most popular brand, selling 9 423 units in April, with Volkswagen second and Suzuki third.

Check out the top 10 selling brands in April 2023:

1. Toyota – 9 423
2. Volkswagen – 4 644
3. Suzuki – 3 620
4. Ford – 2 804
5. Hyundai – 2 371
6. Nissan – 1 681
7. Kia – 1 546
8. Isuzu – 1 433
9. Haval – 1 367
10. Renault – 1 367

Year-to-date total new vehicle sales are up 2 291 units (1.3%) over the same period last year, which is good.

However, Naamsa expects the domestic vehicle market to remain reserved for the greater part of 2023 due to ongoing subdued economic conditions.

Indeed load shedding and other supply shocks are putting major pressure on South Africa’s real GDP growth, which the International Monetary Fund expects to decelerate sharply to 0,1% for 2023.

[source:timeslive]